In May 2025, the UK political scene was in the midst of significant change.
Local elections showed that the country was rapidly moving away from the traditional two-party model, which had been dominated for decades by the Conservative Party and Labour.
New political forces, such as the right-wing Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage and the left-wing Peace & Justice Project of Jeremy Corbyn, are shaping a new landscape in which the old rules no longer apply.
Revolt from the Flanks: Corbyn and Farage
After being expelled from the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn founded a new left-wing movement in 2020, the Peace & Justice Project (PJP), championing issues of social justice and overseeing the establishment of Corbyn and former Labour MP, Zarah Sultana’s new political party.
Their new political party has become an attractive alternative for disillusioned progressive voters who consider the current Labour Party under Keir Starmer ‘too centrist‘ and out of touch with social issues.
Corbyn's platform emphasises pacifism, climate justice, support for trade unions, and active state involvement in the economy: a kind of "mirror image" of the Reform UK policy, but on the left flank.
On the other hand, Reform UK, which inherited part of the Brexit Party electorate, has strengthened against the backdrop of the migration crisis, dissatisfaction with the NHS, and economic difficulties.
Farage and his team are building campaigns on nationalism, anti-immigration rhetoric, and criticism of the “liberal elite”.
As a result, both parties, Reform UK and Peace & Justice, began to collect double-digit percentages of support, especially against the backdrop of the weakness of the centrists.
Local Elections 2025: Signal of the Collapse of the Old Model
The local elections in May 2025 became a wake-up call for traditional parties.
The Conservatives lost a significant number of seats on municipal councils and Labour was unable to convert this decline into a stable majority.
In some constituencies, Reform UK won more than 20%, drawing votes away from the right; in others, Corbyn’s independent party won double figures, especially in working-class areas of northern England and Wales, where economic discontent is particularly strong.
The End of the Two-Party System?
Current events signal a historic transition.
The two-party system that has been in place since the post-war era is fraying at the seams.
New parties are responding to the demands of the times: distrust of elites, anxiety about the future, economic inequality, migration, and cultural identity.
The rise of political pluralism is both enriching and fragmenting democracy. In the UK’s majoritarian electoral system, this could lead to momentum behind proportional representation… something both unthinkable in British politics years ago.
Read the Latest Articles on DET!
Logistical Connections: Russia and North Korea are Building New Routes
Hungary and Slovakia: EU Veto as a Double Edged Sword
